John P. Sullivan

John Patrick Sullivan, 85 of Stevens Point, passed away on June 20, 2026.

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John lived a life marked by a deep love of his family, faith and trust in God, and everlasting gratitude for the employment of Sentry Insurance.

Born on April 21, 1941, to John and Mary Eleanor Sullivan in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, John lived a life marked by a deep love of his family, faith and trust in God, and everlasting gratitude for the employment of Sentry Insurance, his parish St. Stephens Catholic, and many community opportunities in Stevens Point. He graduated from Assumption High School in 1959, followed by two-year attendance at St. Thomas University, graduating with his wife Mary from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. While enrolled at the University, he worked as an IBM computer shifts at Sentry Insurance.

While attending Newman mass at UWSP, on February 12, 1963, he noticed a cute freshman student, Mary Peck. Mary was enrolled in elementary education. Mary and John became the perfect match, marrying April 24, 1965, both graduating together in December 1966.

Upon graduation, John continued his employment at Sentry Insurance, managing Internal Audits of financial, operational, fraud, and technology functions. He retired in 2010, returning in a governance role over Sentry’s generous support of technology in Stevens Point’s public and private schools. The second stint lasted another seven years, until Mary underwent a quadruple heart bypass operation. Almost 50 years of commitment to a wonderful employer of thousands of really good people.

He was always interested in ways to foster the betterment of Stevens Point, beginning with his election to the First Ward Alderpersons position in 1973. His support for establishing the City’s Forestry Department.

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Of all his hard work, St. Stephen’s parish and community activities, John's greatest pride was his family.

John had a deeply spiritual love of being a holy mass lector for St. Stephen’s Parish. He spent years calling Bingo for St. Stephen’s. He and Mary were both active on the St. Stephen’s Parish Council.

Mary and John loved camping with their five children, later traveling frequently to visit their families in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Mary and John loved sharing memories with family and friends at their lake home; over the years traveling to various locations in the America, most recently their month long auto travel into the farthest northwest of the United States.

John throughout his life developed a deep love for world history, the history of family ancestors, trees and nature, and the education of his grandchildren. He loved attending and listening to his grandchildren tell him about their activities and educational interests. He maintained an excel spreadsheet, with a secret algorithm that calibrated both their achievements and scholarship, rewarding each at the end of the year for hard work and doing their best. John had a love of coaching youth baseball, football and basketball.

Of all his hard work, St. Stephen’s parish and community activities, John's greatest pride was his family. Mary, his wife, his daughters, Janis and Carey, and his son’s Shaun, Kevin, and Patrick were his pride and joy. His eyes beamed when their children’s names were mentioned, and adoring his grandchildren Ryan, Rachel, Connor, Cayla, Ashley, Logan, Anya, Olive, John, Walter, Sarah, Violet, and Scarlett, who brought Poppa endless amounts of joy. Together with his cherished daughters-in-law’s Amy, Rachel, Maggie, and sons-in-law’s, Steve Provan and Eric Day.

The family celebrated anything and everything—birthdays, over-the-top Christmases. There was no shortage of love to go around!

Memorials in John’s honor may be made to support the addition of the new holy space at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Stevens Point. 

A Mass of Christian Burial for John will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at St. Stephen Catholic Church, 1401 Clark Street, Stevens Point. Rev. Daniel Williams will officiate.

The visitation will be on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Pisarski Funeral Home, 703 Second Street, Stevens Point. There will be a parish rosary prayed at 7:00 PM. The visitation will resume on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 from 10:00 AM the time of service at the church. Burial will follow in St. Stephen Parish Cemetery.

Pisarski Funeral Homes are honored to be serving the Sullivan Family.